"We are incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool"
New Liverpool FC vice-chairman Amit Bhatia has detailed his pride after leading a consortium that acquired a significant minority stake in the Premier League club.
The entrepreneur completed the deal with Fenway Sports Group (FSG) just weeks after leaving Championship side Queens Park Rangers (QPR), where he spent 18 years as a co-owner and director.
Bhatia assembled a consortium that includes his father-in-law and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
FSG has confirmed the minority investment, which is believed to involve around 30% of the club’s overall stake. The deal values Liverpool at $6 billion.
Bhatia will now serve as vice-chairman on the Liverpool board.
His role is expected to be more hands-on than that of Bezos and Saverin, who are involved in the investment but are expected to remain observers rather than participate in the club’s day-to-day operations.
In a club statement, Amit Bhatia said: “We are incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool Football Club and to be doing so alongside FSG.
“We have the utmost respect and admiration for FSG as owners and for everything they have achieved at Anfield. To be welcomed as a partner in a club of this stature is a huge privilege.”
Bhatia also explained why the consortium decided to invest in Liverpool.
He said: “We are making this investment because we believe deeply in Liverpool and its leadership, and we look forward to supporting the club’s continued success for years to come.”
The investment marks a major new chapter for Bhatia after his lengthy association with QPR. He spent 18 years with the club in various ownership and board roles before stepping away to pursue the Liverpool opportunity.
His contribution at QPR was recognised when the club named a stand at Loftus Road after him.
Bhatia will now represent 1892 Holdings, with the consortium taking its name from the date Liverpool was founded, June 3, 1892.
Despite the arrival of new investors, FSG will retain full control of Liverpool and its direction. The American ownership group completed its takeover of the club in October 2010 and has overseen major domestic and European successes.
The latest investment therefore changes Liverpool’s ownership structure without changing who ultimately controls the club.
It remains to be seen whether Bhatia’s involvement will influence Liverpool’s long-term direction.
For now, his appointment gives the club a new vice-chairman with extensive experience in football ownership and a consortium featuring several globally recognised business figures.
The investment could also leave the door open to further ownership changes in the future, although there is currently no indication that FSG intends to sell its controlling stake.
